Buckmasters Magazine

Like an Oak

By Bob Humphrey

Declining oak forests could mean big changes for future deer herds. I’ve hunted a lot of different places over the years, but there are a few spots I hunt every year. One in particular I’ve been hunting for nearly two decades. At first glance, it doesn’t look like anything special — just another stand of mixed hardwoods. Eve... READ MORE

What Makes Them Different?

By Bob Humphrey

Our biologist explains why you don’t see many bucks after their third birthday. Hunting in a place like Saskatchewan offers several advantages. In addition to good odds for a really big buck, you also get the rare opportunity to watch and learn about deer in general. Spend a week in Saskatchewan and you’ll likely log more observations o... READ MORE

Uncommon Senses

By Darren Warner

Hunters spend a lot of time worrying about a whitetail’s nose, but what about its other senses? Everything about a whitetail’s vision is uniquely adapted to help it detect and escape predators. Take, for example, where the eyes are positioned, on the sides of its head. A deer can see 310 degrees, compared to about 180 degrees for humans... READ MORE

Beat the Clock

By Jeff Murray

Take advantage of the fast pace of the rut. At the beginning of the week, my best spot looked like a fire sale on whitetail bachelorettes. Suitors with headgear of all shapes and sizes came a-calling. Each sniffed air and ground, ignoring the camouflaged blob watching from above. Who would have guessed that by the end of the week that spot would be... READ MORE

Don’t Bug Me!

By Bob Humphrey

Some of the woods’ biggest dangers come in the smallest packages. I’ll never forget my first trip to Texas. There were many memorable moments, but one that stands out occurred on the first afternoon. The outfitter had secured a supply of 8x8x4 plywood moving crates, which he’d converted into ground blinds by making one end panel i... READ MORE

Hunting Below the Threshold

By Jeff Murray

You can’t stop 100% of human scent, but you can reduce it to a huntable level. Is it humanly possible to not smell like a human? I often kick off seminars with this question because it’s a hot, if not the hottest, topic in hunting. Invariably, the “nays” outnumber the “ayes” by at least three to one. Someone migh... READ MORE

Father Knows Best

By Bob Gentz

Dad always said not to shoot unless you have a clean shot. During the 3 1/2-hour trip north to my brother-in-law’s camp, I wondered if this would be my year for a trophy. If it wasn’t for my father, who taught me to enjoy the outdoors, I wouldn’t be driving among the thousands of cars full of drivers and passengers heading in the ... READ MORE

Results-Based Scouting

By Rick Sapp

In order to find mature deer, you have to look for mature deer. Here’s how to do it. ‘We’ve gotten it right … and wrong,’ says nationally recognized white-tailed deer and turkey hunter Tim Hooey. ‘Effective scouting is a year-round deer hunting activity, but the way our generation has been taught to go about it ... READ MORE

Like Father, Like Son

By Jacob Lowey

Jacob wanted to hunt out of the stand where his father was and had to “settle” for a monster 11-pointer. It was the second day of shotgun season in Illinois, and I had a basketball game at 8 a.m. Dad had gone ahead without me, so when the game was over, I rushed home to get all my hunting gear together and go out to my stand. I am not a... READ MORE

Hunting with the Enemy

By Chuck Smick

Outlaws are a small percentage of our ranks, but they make a big impact. When I pulled into the parking area at the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge, my stomach roiled and my heart sank. There lay three deer left to waste. One had been skinned and the head removed, along with a few choice pieces of meat. The other two lacked their heads, but a... READ MORE

Captain Hook

By Mike Bartig

It took two encounters and two years, but Missouri archer finally claims his trophy. It was the first week of November during the 2006 fall Missouri archery season, and I was trudging up the hill to my tried-and-true treestand on Dave’s place. I had carefully positioned “Stinky” — my homemade deer decoy — upwind from t... READ MORE

Next Year’s Game Plan

By Joel S. Fawcett

The time to start planning for next year’s big buck is immediately after this season. Deer season is over, and you struck out. If that describes your experience, perhaps you should incorporate a scouting regimen into the off-season. I began to pattern bucks back when I was a registered guide, and my success in predicting hot locations for my ... READ MORE

Ready, Set, Reload!

By Tom Fegely

One of the most important skills of blackpowder hunting is the ability to reload quickly. Serious blackpowder hunters spend considerably more powder and lead under the controlled conditions of a shooting range than they do in the field. At least they should. Those who practice learn crucial lessons and skills that can make or break a hunt. One oft-... READ MORE

Deer Pelletology

By C.J. Winand

Can hunters learn anything useful from deer droppings? We’ve all read that you can tell the sex of the deer by the size and shape of droppings, but is that really true? Do biologists really know? And, more important, can hunters learn anything from all the deer droppings they observe? The science of deer pelletology is intriguing, and despite... READ MORE

Making It Count

By Kristopher Havelka

Missouri teenager makes the most of his last season as a youth hunter. I’ve been hunting with my dad since I was 8 years old and fishing for as long as I can remember. I have been fortunate enough to take a doe and a nice 6-pointer during previous youth hunts, and I harvested my first turkey a few years ago during the youth turkey hunt. The ... READ MORE